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Los Angeles Rams quarterback Jared Goff, talks with Karen Helus, center, wife of Ventura County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Ron Helus, and Pam Archie, right, Karen's mother, after Monday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Coliseum. Sgt. Helus was killed in the Borderline Bar & Grill shooting. The Rams honored the family of the victims and also the first responders to the shooting and recent wildfires. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth hugs Karen Helus, wife of Ventura County Sheriff's Sgt. Ron Helus, after Monday night's game against the Kansas City Chiefs at the Coliseum. Sgt. Helus was killed in the Borderline Bar & Grill shooting. The Rams honored the family of the victims and also the first responders to the shooting and recent wildfires. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

First responder David Marusa, from Camarillo and the Ventura County Search and Rescue, participates in the American flag ceremony before Monday night's game between the Rams and Chiefs at the Coliseum. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

First responders Dennis Blumenthal, left, chief of maintenance for the L.A. County Air Operations, and Ken Williams, senior pilot with the Ventura County Fire Department, cheer on the Rams during Monday night's win over the Chiefs at the Coliseum. First responders of the recent wildfires were honored by the team. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

Richard Hain, left, and his son J.T. Hain, who was inside the Borderline Bar & Grill at the time of the mass shooting, participate in the American flag ceremony before Monday night's game between the Rams and Chiefs at the Coliseum. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

The Coliseum torch is lit in honor of Ventura County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Ron Helu before Monday night's game against the Chiefs. Sgt. Helus was killed in the Borderline Bar & Grill shooting. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

Rams quarterback Jared Goff, right, throws the winning touchdown pass to Gerald Everett with 1:54 left in the game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night. The Rams won 54-51. The combined points was the third highest scoring game in NFL history and the highest scoring game for a Monday night game. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

First responder Sgt. Jose Rivera, of Camarillo and the from the Ventura County Sheriff's Department, and his son Kelley, 3, and wife Tristen enjoy Monday night's game between the Rams and the Chiefs at the Coliseum. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

First responder Sgt. Marty Luna, of the Ventura Country Sheriff's Department, helps hold up the American flag during a ceremony before Monday night's game between the Rams and Chiefs at the Coliseum. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

Richard Hain, left, and his son J.T. Hain, who was inside the Borderline Bar & Grill at the time of the mass shooting, participate in the American flag ceremony before Monday night's game between the Rams and the Chiefs. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

Ventura County Sheriff cadet and first responder Kyle Hunter, of Los Angeles, and Heide Scribner of Simi Valley watch Monday night's game between the Rams and Chiefs at the Coliseum. CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR

LOS ANGELES — Hearts were still racing from the highest scoring game in “Monday Night Football” history.

It hadn’t been long since Jared Goff had found Gerald Everett down the right sideline for the game-winning 40-yard touchdown with 1:49 to play.

But the Los Angeles Rams quarterback emerged from the locker room soon after the an epic 54-51 win over the visiting Kansas City Chiefs on Monday night in search of hearts that were broken.

Goff and Rams offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth returned to the Coliseum grass with handshakes and hugs, personally thanking surviving family members of the Borderline & Grill shooting victims for attending the game.

“A lot of stuff has been going on the last couple weeks,” Goff said. “Hopefully, we can provide some joy, some normalcy in the last few hours and a lot of fun for people hopefully to get their minds off anything they’re dealing with.”

Before he had donated his game check from the previous win over Seattle and given the use of his personal luxury box on Monday night to the victims, Whitworth had promised his embrace, saying the Rams would “put our arms around” the families and the greater Thousand Oaks community.

On Monday night, Whitworth and the Rams delivered literally and figuratively.

“You sometimes realize things are bigger than yourself,” Whitworth said in the locker room, fighting back the emotion. “This has been one of those moments.

“Coming off a win, you realize quickly there’s a whole lot of things more important than football. Just to be able to put some joy in these people’s hearts, to hear those mommas say thank you … it’s tough.”

With less than a week to plan, the Rams took advantage of Monday’s game begin relocated from Mexico City to bring “L.A. Together,” as they dubbed the event.

The team distributed more than 3,000 tickets to first responders and people affected by the Borderline shooting and Hill and Woolsey fires.

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The Coliseum torch is lit in honor of Ventura County Sheriff's Department Sgt. Ron Helu before Monday night's game against the Chiefs. Sgt. Helus was killed in the Borderline Bar & Grill shooting.(Photo: CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR)

“Many of our fire department members, we sneak over there and just look over the fence and watch our home team practice,” said Ventura County fire captain Stan Ziegler. “It’s great to be able to make that connection with our hometown team, that practices right in our neighborhood, right in the community of Thousand Oaks.”

The Ventura County Sheriff’s Honor Guard presented the colors as members of the Cal Lutheran University choir performed the national anthem before the game.

“We were all just star struck at the enormity of the event,” said CLU junior Jordan Erickson, a Westlake High graduate. “We were nervous, but it was a good nervous.”

Borderline shooting victim Justin Meek was a soloist in the choir and the men's quartet.

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Richard Hain, left, and his son J.T. Hain, who was inside the Borderline Bar & Grill at the time of the mass shooting, participate in the American flag ceremony before Monday night's game between the Rams and the Chiefs.(Photo: CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR)

“The first thing I thought of was ‘Justin would love this,’ ” CLU senior Maddy Barnes said. “He would love an opportunity like this. He’d be over the moon. We’re happy to be here and do this for him.”

Karen and Jordan Helus of Moorpark, wife and son of fallen Ventura County Sheriff Sgt. Ron Helus, performed the ceremonial lighting of the Coliseum’s Olympic torch just before kickoff.

“For all they’ve been through, not that this will make their next few months any easier, but for a night, they can be honored by the entire region,” Rams chief Kevin Demoff said.

Local mayors, including Andy Fox of Thousand Oaks, Bill Koehler of Agoura Hills, Mark Rutherford of Westlake Village and Fred Gaines of Calabasas, joined captains at midfield for the coin toss.

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First responders unfurl the American flag before the start of Monday night's game between the Rams and the Chiefs at the Coliseum.(Photo: CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR)

Dylan, 17, and Derek Adler, 12, of Simi Valley, who lost their father Sean at Borderline, served as honorary water boys for the Rams.

“It’s been hard, but coming out here gets my mind off of things,” said Dylan Adler. “Just in the car, I was like, ‘Oh my God, I want to get there, I want to get there.’ I was super excited to get here and just see the players.”

Dylan plays receiver on the Simi Valley High football team.

“Just going down the tunnel, it was awesome,” Adler said. “Walking into an NFL tunnel at the Coliseum is like a dream. Not many people get to do it. It was amazing.”

Looks like Dylan and Derek Adler left the Coliseum with game balls, signed by Jared Goff. Earned of course, by their contribution on the sidelines to an epic game, which Dylan called “amazing.” pic.twitter.com/zlE3b0Es6V

The Adler boys spent the game refilling water bottles and chatting with Rams players. For their efforts, they left with footballs signed by Goff and hats signed by receiver Robert Woods and Pharoh Cooper.

“It was really fun,” Derek said with a raspy voice. “I lost my voice halfway through it. I know it was a great game, the game of a lifetime.”

Photos of all 12 Borderline victims were memorialized on a wall inside the Coliseum that read “Los Angeles, Our Hearts Are With You.” The Rams encouraged fans to sign the wall with “messages of hope and support” planned to donate the wall to the city of Thousand Oaks.

During the game, the Thousand Oaks Titans youth football team, powered by its invite to the team’s VIP tailgate, waved “LA Together” rally towels on the video boards. The team, consisting mostly of eighth-graders from Las Colinas Middle School in Thousand Oaks, prepared for its PYFL senior division Super Bowl on Saturday with a practice at the Rams facility after it was displaced by the Woolsey Fire.

Soda? Check. Burgers? Check. Members of the TO Titans youth football team enjoying the Rams VIP tailgate before MNF against the Chiefs. Team is mostly made up of eighth graders from Los Cerritos Middle School. pic.twitter.com/LNqjxzJHeX

More than 100 firefighters from Ventura County, the city of Ventura and the city of Oxnard attended the game. According to Ziegler, many of them had spent the previous two weeks fighting the fires.

“You would not believe what it means to us,” Ziegler said. “Just to be able to come here to the Coliseum and be with other brothers and sisters who have been on the firefight as well … and to be able to relax and watch a football game and eat a hot dog and just enjoy the camaraderie, it’s just going to be a fantastic boost for our morale.”

Ventura County Fire Department Capt. Ken Roberts and firefighter Michael Williams of Station 36 in Oak Park were recognized during the first and third quarters, respectively, for protecting homes from the Woolsey Fire.

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First responder David Marusa, from Camarillo and the Ventura County Search and Rescue, participates in the American flag ceremony before Monday night's game between the Rams and Chiefs at the Coliseum.(Photo: CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR)

“You had a ton of folks who were impacted in the sheriff’s department and the fire department and nobody got a chance to truly mourn or grieve,” Roberts said. “We had to go do our jobs. That’s what tonight really is. A chance to relax, take a deep breath and hopefully really start the healing process for the entire community.

“That’s what Ventura County needs, that’s what the city of Thousand Oaks needs.”

Williams lost his home to the Woolsey fire and continued protecting other homes.

“We pride ourselves in Ventura County on never losing houses,” Roberts said. “So to have the Thomas Fire and have that loss there, and to turn around the very next year and have another loss to a fire, it’s beyond tragic. We never want to lose one house, so to have these big losses, it weighs.”

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First responder Sgt. Marty Luna, of the Ventura Country Sheriff's Department, helps hold up the American flag during a ceremony before Monday night's game between the Rams and Chiefs at the Coliseum.(Photo: CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR)

In the wake of those “big losses,” said Rams cornerback Troy Hill, a St. Bonaventure High graduate, arrived “a big win for the community” on Monday night.

“This was the entire city coming together to put this night on,” Demoff said. “Yes, the players played and the organization did it, but 77,000 fans bought tickets in the past five days to come celebrate the first responders, help honor the victims and give this city a platform from which to rebuild.

“I couldn’t be more proud of the entire region, the entire organization, the players. This is a win for everybody tonight.”

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First responders Dennis Blumenthal, left, chief of maintenance for the L.A. County Air Operations, and Ken Williams, senior pilot with the Ventura County Fire Department, cheer on the Rams during Monday night's win over the Chiefs at the Coliseum. First responders of the recent wildfires were honored by the team.(Photo: CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR)